Don’t be swayed by promises of vitamin C, antioxidants, or Amazonian rain forest delicacies. Acai berries may contain some awesome nutrients, but when you ingest them via a drink with over 40 grams of sugars? Kinda contradicts the whole “I’m doing this for my health” intention.
5. Granola
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Granola picked up a rep for being “healthy” way back when your parents were smoking pot in the 1960s. Why? Because it simply had less sugar in comparison to other breakfast items on the market at that time. (Well, also because oats are supposed to be good for your heart.) But the added ingredients (yes, sugars, once again) and high fat content of most brands makes the stuff less of a healthy choice for most of our diets and more of a treat best to consume in moderation, Kirkpatrick says.
6. Frozen Diet Meals
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Low calorie counts and approval stamps don’t automatically make a frozen meal better for you than a meal you might cook on your own, Kirkpatrick says. Even, she points out, if they make it healthy. “Most frozen meals contain additives you wouldn’t find in your kitchen at home,” she says. “And they’ll typically use cheaper starches and grains like white potatoes or rice. “It’s hard to get a frozen meal where every component is a healthy choice.”
If you pack your fridge full of frozen meals due to time constraints, consider buying whole food items instead. Think: A bag of frozen veggies you can heat up in the microwave with some olive or avocado oil.
7. Dried Fruit
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Bad news for dried mango lovers and those who snack on cranberries. “Raisins, apricots, prunes, dates, and figs are really the only dried fruits that don’t have sugar added to them during the drying process,” says Kirkpatrick.
8. Vegan Desserts
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Alas, a dessert is still a dessert, even if it contains no animal products. In fact, some vegan treats have more fat and simple carbs than ordinary delights. Yes, coconut sugar, which is often swapped with white sugar in most vegan desserts, may sound healthier than white sugar, Kirkpatrick says. But it still has a similar effect on your blood sugar levels and insulin as the regular stuff.
So What Can You Eat?
If you are going to buy prepackaged or processed snacks and foods (because you are a human) choose ones that have at max five ingredients — though ideally three or less. (The fewer ingredients, the less processed a product is, says Kirkpatrick.)
And if you’re unsure whether something’s “healthy” or nah? Ask yourself whether you (or a friend who can cook, if this isn’t your best skill) could make it in your kitchen at home, suggests Kirkpatrick. “If not, best to put it back on the shelf.”
Lastly, be wary of lofty claims — i.e., “As much vitamin C as an orange!” “High in fiber!” — especially if these boasts are slapped onto foods you’d otherwise consider “bad for you.” Always wiser to seek the purest source of a nutrient when possible, Kirkpatrick says. (Translation: Eat. Actual. Food.)
This may make it seem like nothing but salad is sacred, but so long as you keep your eye out most of the time, a little slip (or treat) here and there won’t kill you. Remember, a huge part of health is enjoying your life. And sometimes that means indulging.
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